The nervous woman nodded but did not reply. She sat still, thinking there was no reason not to believe Travis, but if that was the case, why did her stomach feel odd? She remembered the loving church family in Longmont and was reminded why she would be nervous. There was no fear that she would have to sing a solo; the apprehension came from the fact that someone might get close enough to expect her to talk about herself. And even if that didn’t happen and she was able to get close for a few weeks, a telegram could arrive from Denver at any time. In the past, that mysterious aspect of her life was always very exciting, but not so today.
With subtle movements she touched the wig at her temple, praying that all was in place. Her hair was just now starting to fluff away from her scalp. It would be some time before she could leave the wig at home, but she was already feeling like a year at home wouldn’t be enough. A moment later she mentally shook her head at her own musings. What foolishness. She knew she would be called back to work and that it would be far less than a year from now.
Garrett took that moment to announce the sighting of the church, so no one heard Pup sigh. But she knew then that the cramps in her stomach this morning were not just about church.
“I love this next verse,” Pastor Henley spoke from the front, his sermon almost over. “In fact I know that my wife taught it to the children this morning. Verse four,” he said, referring to the second chapter in Philippians where the sermon was centered that day. “Will you say it with me?” Pastor asked. Although he smiled encouragingly, little ones all over the church ducked their heads and lowered their eyes.
“I didn’t give you much warning, did I?” he said with kind eyes, taking all the blame. “I’ll do it for you, shall I? ‘Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.’ Note that it doesn’t say we’re to ignore our own needs, but if we’re only taking time for our own needs, we’re disobeying. A church family can’t function that way. We have to be mindful of each other.
“As you leave this morning, don’t forget the first verse in the chapter that we’ve already gone over. Let’s look at the list one last time. ‘Comfort of love,’ it says, ‘fellowship of the Spirit,’ and ‘mercy and compassion.’ This is how we’re to act toward one another, and when we put the needs of others ahead of our own, this comes easily. It’s when we’re self-seeking that these commands get lost in the shuffle. Take this away with you today. Ask God to show you how you can exhibit these things in your own life, and others close to you will be blessed.”
It was over before Pup could take a breath. It was hard to believe that more than an hour had passed since Pastor Henley welcomed everyone to the service. Pup had never taken her eyes from him, and now he was asking them to stand so he could lead them in the last song. Had it been like this in Longmont? She honestly couldn’t remember. The things Pastor Henley had said, the warm look in his eyes, and the gentle sound of his voice had thoroughly captivated her.
“I’m sorry the boys were a little wiggly,”Travis was saying. They’d sat with the boys between them, but now the young Buchanans were gone. Pup turned to him. “They’re usually better than that,” Travis explained, “but one of them must have had ants in his pants.”
Pup only looked at him. Had the boys been fidgety? Her look made Travis smile, and after a moment she smiled in return.
“I take it you didn’t notice.” His eyes were sparkling with humor.
“No,” Pup said, feeling like laughing. It was a good thing she hadn’t been eating—she’d have covered herself with food.
“How did you feel about the service?” Travis asked. He himself had been slightly preoccupied wondering what she was thinking.
“I enjoyed it,” she said simply, but something told him there was a wealth of meaning behind the words.
“Would you like to meet Pastor and his wife?”
“Yes, I would.”
Again the words were plainly said, but Travis was swiftly coming to realize that there was far more to Pup Jennings than probably he or anyone else would guess. Pup now stepped aside, and Travis understood that she wanted him to lead the way. He did so, feeling slightly uncomfortable walking in front of her, but she had clearly wanted this. As it was, Mrs. Henley was not at the front. Someone else had stopped the pastor, so Travis and Pup stood for a moment and waited. Pup’s mind was just beginning to wander back to some of the things Pastor Henley said this morning when he turned.
“Travis,” his voice told of his pleasure.
“Hello, Pastor Henley. I’d like you to meet Pup Jennings. She’s a friend from here in Boulder who stayed with Rebecca and me last night at the ranch.” Travis turned to Pup.
“Pup, this is Pastor Keith Henley.
The older man’s hand came out. “Pup, is it?”
“Yes” Pup said, shaking his hand. “I go by Pup or Callie; it doesn’t matter.”
“It’s good to meet you, Callie,” the pastor replied, deciding in an instant not to use her nickname.
“I enjoyed your sermon,” Pup felt compelled to tell him, unaware of the way her deep feelings showed in her eyes.
“Isn’t that a great passage in Philippians?” he asked with a gentle smile. “It’s one of my favorites.”
Something melted in Pup’s heart at that moment. She wasn’t certain why she was so drawn to this man, but his faith was so genuine that Pup felt as though she could sit down with him and discuss the Bible for hours. For a moment she might have been that little girl so many years past who stood on the street corner and put her child’s faith in the Son of God. Pastor Henley somehow had that effect on her.
“It was new to me,” she offered hesitantly. “I mean, the verses—I hadn’t read them before.”
“Would you like to discuss those verses with me?” Pastor asked. “Was there anything that wasn’t clear to you? I’d be happy to talk to you about them.”
This was the last thing Pup had expected. She had asked Travis if she would be able to question the pastor, but she hadn’t expected it to be this easy. For a moment she was so surprised she didn’t speak. Pastor Henley suddenly turned to Travis.
“I suppose you’ll want to be home with Rebecca since her time is so close, but may Beryl and I steal Callie from you for a time today?”
“Absolutely. Pup was going to head home from here anyway, so if she’s available—” he let the sentence hang.
Pup suddenly found herself under the scrutiny of both men. She wasn’t sure what she’d missed, but she waited silently for someone else to speak.
“My wife and I would be happy to have you join us for dinner today, Callie,” Pastor told her.
It took a moment for the invitation to sink in, but then Pup simply said, “I’d like that.”
A moment later, before anyone else could speak, they were joined by Mrs. Henley.
“Hello, Travis. How’s Rebecca?”
“Still holding on.”
Beryl grasped his arm. “You take good care of her, Travis.”
Travis smiled. “I will.”
“Beryl,” the pastor said, drawing his wife close with an arm, “meet Callie Jennings. She’s going to join us for dinner today.”
“I’m so glad,” Beryl said sincerely as her hand came forward. Pup found herself liking this older woman from the first moment.
“I just asked Clayton and his family to join us, too,” she added, telling Pup, not her spouse. “Have you met Boulder’s schoolteacher, Callie?”
“No, I don’t believe I have.”
“You’ll like Clayton and Jackie. They just had a baby girl.”
It was all settled so swiftly that Pup wasn’t given time to respond. Telling Pup she’d be welcome at the house next week, Travis was suddenly saying his goodbyes and leaving to round up his sons. Pastor Henley told his wife that he would be held up a few minutes and asked if she would walk with Pup and show her where they lived.
Pup met a few other people on her way to the door, her mind still trying to deal w
ith how swiftly she’d been offered hospitality. Hospitality was nothing new in the West, but the warmth and caring behind it were so foreign to this mountain woman that she wished for some time alone to take it in. It wasn’t to happen. Seconds later Ginny’s reins were in her hand as she walked to the parsonage beside a woman she’d just met, her heart asking God to help her in the hours to come.
29
Seated comfortably in the Henley’s living room, Pup looked down into the face of Katherine Alexa Taggart and couldn’t stop her smile. At three months old, Katherine was the roundest, sweetest, most delicate child she had ever seen. Full cheeks that held an apple blush accentuated large, dark purple eyes. She didn’t have much hair, but the soft fuzz atop her head was a deep red. Exquisite was the only word that would come to Pup’s mind.
“Is she smiling at you?” Katherine’s mother asked, and Pup looked up at the blinded eyes of Jackie Taggart.
“She’s just looking me over,” Pup told her. Wondering what it would be like never to see your child, she looked back down to the baby in Jackie’s arms.
“She’s smiling now,” Pup said, thinking the baby might have needed to hear her voice to respond.
“I can feel it,” Jackie said, an intense look of wonder and joy on her face. “Sometimes she smiles with her whole body.”
“She’s so pretty,” Pup said softly.
“That’s what Clayton and her aunt and uncle say, but I don’t know whether I can trust anyone who’s so biased by love.”
“They’re telling you the truth,” Pup assured her softly, and for a moment they both fell silent.
“I don’t always meet everyone who visits the church,” Jackie said, “so I hope I won’t sound nosy if I ask you whether you’ve come before.”
“That’s all right,” Pup assured her. “As a matter of fact, this is my first time. Do you attend regularly?”
“Yes. Since the first Sunday I moved here. Did you meet Eddie or Robert Langley this morning?”
“I don’t think so.” Pup certainly knew who those people were, but she had never been introduced to any of them.
“Well, Eddie is my sister. I lived with them before Clayton and I were married.”
The baby began to fuss, and Pup watched in fascination as Jackie “saw” her baby. She didn’t just jostle her a bit and tell her to quiet down, but she shifted her bundle until she had one hand free. She ran that hand gently down the baby’s head, face, and ears, checking stomach, arms, hands, legs, and feet—every part of her.
“I think you’re fine,” Katherine’s mother told her baby. “You just ate, so you can’t be hungry. I wonder if you might need to see Papa?”
“Do you want me to get your husband?” Pup hadn’t met him but offered just the same.
“No,” Jackie said with a grin, “I just say that to distract her.”
Pup smiled in return, just as a voice spoke from the door.
“Sorry I’m late,” Clayton Taggart said as he walked in with an easy stride. “Did Eddie drop you off ?”
“Robert, actually,” Jackie told him. “Clayton, meet Callie Jennings. Callie, this is my husband, Clayton.”
“It’s good to meet you.” Clayton came forward and shook her hand.
“Thank you. Mrs. Henley tells me you teach at the school.”
“Guilty as charged,” he told her good-naturedly, taking a seat next to Jackie. He scooped his daughter from his wife’s arms and held her to his shoulder. “Do you live here in town, Callie?”
“Up the mountain some.”
“That’s pretty country up there.”
“I think so,” Pup agreed with pleasure.
“Does living so far away make it hard to get to church?” Jackie wished to know.
“Not exactly hard, but it does take some planning. Last night I stayed with Travis and Rebecca.”
“Don’t you love that ranch and the house?” Clayton asked her.
Pup smiled. “It’s beautiful.”
“How is Rebecca feeling?” Jackie asked, well remembering the end of her own pregnancy.
“Tired, but in good spirits. When I got there she was cleaning everything in sight.”
“Now, doesn’t that sound familiar,” Clayton chuckled.
“I was just awful,” Jackie admitted, “and because of my vision I couldn’t do everything I wanted. I probably drove Clayton mad.”
But Clayton only smiled. “Let’s just say I was glad to finally meet the little person who was causing all the disturbance.” He had shifted Katherine to his arms and held her so he could smile into her eyes, but he still had a hand free to touch his wife.
Pup was surprised to feel something catch at her throat. What a special couple they were. She had certainly heard of them, and even seen them once or twice, but never would she have guessed how well they coped with Jackie’s special needs. Indeed, until she’d met Jackie and seen her up close, she hadn’t been aware of the blindness.
Beryl Henley came to the doorway at that moment.
“Keith is here now.” Her smile encompassed them. “We’re ready to eat.”
Shifting Katherine to his shoulder again, Clayton stood and let Jackie take his arm.
“After you, Callie.”
Pup went ahead of them, her nose catching the aromas of the meal. Beryl gently touched Pup’s arm as she came from the living room to the spacious kitchen where the meal was laid out on the table. “Right here, Callie,” she directed.
Pup had just taken her seat when Pastor Henley came in from a side door.
“It smells good in here, dear,” he commented to his wife as he sat at one end of the table. “I hope I didn’t ruin anything.”
“Not at all. Your timing was perfect.”
Pup watched them share a smile as the hostess claimed the other end of the table. Pup sat on Beryl’s right, and the Taggarts were across the table. Even though there was an empty chair next to her, she felt warm and included. She also felt a rush of emotions, some so unfamiliar that she couldn’t even name them. As they all bowed their heads to pray, Pup couldn’t help but wonder if the emotions were because she felt included or in spite of it.
“So this verse is referring to verses above?”
“Yes. Words like “but,” “therefore,” and “finally,” signal us to back up in the text because they refer to a prior thought.”
Pup nodded, her face intent on the pastor and the open Bible in his hand. More than an hour had passed since Katherine had become very wet and Clayton and Jackie had taken her home. During that time Pup sat in the living room with the Henleys and discussed the day’s sermon, or at least that’s where the conversation began. Before long the subjects had ranged far.
The afternoon was growing long when Pastor Henley said, “Callie, I want you to rest in the Lord on all of this. The people of Paul’s day clearly understood what was written to them. I want you to be just as confident in God and trust that He’s brought His message to us in our common everyday language.” With that, the wise pastor held his Bible up between them.
Pup sat back, her mind taking in all they had covered. It had been such a help to her. There was so much he’d been able to make clear with just a few words of counsel on how to study the Scriptures.
“Thank you for taking time with me today,” Pup said softly.
“You’re welcome. Are you settled on things for now?”
“Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Henley,” she said, turning to her hostess.
“It’s been our pleasure,” Beryl told her. The older woman was tired, but getting to know Callie was worth the fatigue. It hadn’t taken long to see that Callie Jennings could be a very intense individual, but her questions were sincere and well thought out. Beryl knew Keith would probably have to draw from years of study and pray for wisdom to keep up with her.
Pup had told them of her conversion, and Beryl had to admit to herself that she’d never heard the like. She’d also never known anyone who caught on so swiftly; Keith had not had to repeat anyt
hing. To top it off, she seemed as fresh as this morning. Beryl was tired just thinking about riding a horse up the mountain.
“Will we see you next week?”
“Yes. Travis told me I could stay with them again. I also heard Clayton say something about a Bible study at the Langleys’. Is that open to anyone?”
“Yes, it is. Robert teaches the study himself. They meet on Thursday nights, and I know you would be welcome.”
Pup listened to directions to the Langley home even though the twins had pointed out their aunt and uncle’s home that morning. She hadn’t decided if going to a study would work for her schedule or not, and having grown intent on the thought, nearly forgot to say goodbye. At the last minute she recalled herself and graciously thanked the Henleys as they saw her to the door. However, her mind was swiftly back on all she’d heard as well as on the week ahead.
She’d been on Ginny’s back for close to two hours when she looked down and saw some food marks on the lap of her dress. They immediately made her think of McKay. She wanted to laugh, as she knew he would have had he been present. Chagrined, she slowly shook her head. It had taken all she had not to forget herself during the meal, but clearly she hadn’t been as successful as she had believed. Her next thought took the smile from her face and melted her heart to tenderness.
“I wouldn’t be a mess if I’d gone to Longmont,” she now told Ginny softly, the deep woods surrounding her. “McKay would have taken care of me. He would have wrapped a cloth around my neck and reminded me not to spill on my dress.”
It was at that moment that Pup knew she must be tired. If she had not had hours still to go she would have stopped Ginny on the spot and sat down for a long, hard cry.
30
Silver Plume
McKay and Trent Adams, an agent he worked with on occasion, left the horses tied to a bush and walked behind the old-timer they’d tracked down at the boardinghouse in Silver Plume. He’d been a talker from the moment they approached him, and he didn’t seem to have anything better to do. The incline up the mountain was proving to be steeper than expected, but they’d taken the horses as far as they could go and now set out on foot. Jed Cawley, 60 if he was a day, had told them he knew where the mine was located. He’d even offered to take them. McKay knew it was going to cost him, but it would be well worth every cent if this lead panned out.